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Best of Suspense Pg. 9

August 14, 2011

The Suspense episode "The A.B.C. Murders" was adapted from the 1936 novel of the same name by Agatha Christie, but the radio version bears little resemblance to the original story. In the book, the mystery is solved by private detective extraordinaire Hercule Poiret, but Suspense's version leaves him out entirely. Instead, the story is condensed and uses only the basic plot from Christie's book.

As the episode opens, two librarians sit behind the counter and discuss the odd little patron who has just dropped off a book. Suddenly, they realize the man has left his briefcase behind. One of them, Franklin Clarke, catches up to the owner, and returns the case to him. The briefcase has the initials A.B.C. and the owner identifies himself as Alexander Bonaparte Cust. The two chat for a while and find out they have some things in common.

Later, Mr. Cust prepares to start his new job as a traveling salesman. His first stop is Andover, but what he doesn't know is that the police are in Andover warning the public about a homicidal maniac planning to strike in Andover. The same thing happens in the next town Mr. Cust visits, Bexhill.

He quickly becomes confused. Does he have something to do with the murders? With his terrible headaches, Mr. Cust sometimes doesn't remember what he does...

"The A.B.C. Murders" was adapted for radio by Robert Tallman and William Spier. Ted Bliss directed and William Spier produced. Charles Laughton starred. Also appearing were Elsa Lanchester and Bramwell Fletcher. This episode aired on May 18, 1943.

In "The Peralta Map," Raymond Burr stars as a treasure hunter, who will stop at nothing to find a lost gold mine.

In the introduction to this episode, William N. Robson tells us that the facts are true, but the story is imaginary, since none of the people involved lived to tell. Well, some of the facts are true. A number of facts and legends connected to the Lost Dutchman's Gold Mine were included in this story about two modern day treasure hunters.

As the episode opens, Henry Cracker and his friend, Willis, are driving on a Arizona highway with a horse trailer in tow. They are on their way to Lonnie's gas station before heading into the Superstition Mountains. The locals in Apache Pass have told them that Lonnie knows the area better than anyone, and they want to partner up with him for their expedition.

When they arrive at Lonnie's, Cracker and Willis tell him that they are in possession of a map that they believe will lead them to the Lost Dutchman's Gold Mine. Lonnie wants no part of their plan, but Cracker makes it impossible for him to refuse.

Later, when they are up in the mountains, Lonnie tells them about all of the others who tried to find the lost mine. All of those who tried...and then never came back. The mine is supposedly guarded by an unknown person who wears spurs, kills strangers with an old army rifle, and carries a cavalry sabre to cut off heads. An old Apache named Fat Dog claims to have seen him and heard the spurs...

Cracker and Willis choose to ignore the old man. How can they believe stories that happened so long ago? Besides, Lonnie may just be trying to scare them off because he wants to go home.

August 07, 2011

In "A Matter of Timing," a man hires a killer to murder his business partner but his plans soon go awry.

As the episode opens, a train departs the station...and two men meet on the platform. One is a hitman, and the other is Carl, a man who wants his business partner, Mark, killed. At first, the plan to kill Mark seems easy, but the hitman soon becomes weary of Carl and the unexpected delays.

Carl wants Mark killed because he hates being made to feel inferior. Mark wants to end their partnership, too, but feels a strong loyalty to his friend and business partner.

In "The Ten Grand," Lucille Ball plays a woman whose purse is snatched and then returned with someone else's money inside.

As the episode opens, Gigi Lewis narrates her experiences about the night her purse was stolen. She was standing outside of Lindy's restaurant on Broadway savoring the idea of T-bone steak smothered with onions. With nothing more than subway fare in her purse, savoring the idea was all she could afford.

Down in the subway, Gigi was about to go through the turnstyle, when suddenly, her purse was stolen! She screamed for help, and a big commotion followed. Later, her purse was returned to her by a man in the crowd.

When she opened her purse and reached for her nickel, she found a big wad of cash instead! Was this the answer to Gigi's prayers? Or, had she gotten herself into trouble?

July 31, 2011

In "Fear Paints a Picture," a young woman will inherit her father's fortune at age twenty-three...if she doesn't lose her mind first.

As the episode opens, the music whirls, and the announcer tells the story of Benjamin Powell, his strange family, and the last will and testament he left behind.

Then, creepy music plays, and the announcer reads the will aloud...

In the event of Powell's death, his daughter, Julia, becomes the heir to his considerable fortune. But, the conditions of the will state that she must live in his old San Francisco home with two appointed guardians, Harvey and Laura Lyons, until she reaches age twenty-three. Provided that nothing "untoward" happens to her during that time, Julia will inherit her father's estate. If, she is unable to, then the estate will transfer to Harvey and Laura.

Three months later, Julia, Harvey, and Laura are sitting around the fireplace in the dark living room of Powell's old San Francisco home. Julia's twenty-third birthday is a week away, but Harvey and Laura are worried about her because she is such a "high-strung" girl. Julia doesn't see anything wrong with that, but then Laura finally tells her the truth. Julia's mother died in an insane asylum at age twenty-three!

Later that night, Dr. Barrows arrives. He had treated Julia's mother, and he is sure that he can help Julia with her problems....

July 24, 2011

"The Death of Barbara Allen" is one of a series of episodes that Suspense created to dramatize popular folk songs. The song "Barbara Allen" originated in England or Scotland, and the earliest known reference appears in 1666. The song was first printed in England in 1750 and in America in 1836.

The ballad of Barbara Allen usually takes place in Scarlet Town and involves a young man named William, who is dying of unrequited love for Barbara. On his deathbed, he asks to see his love, but when she arrives, all she can say to him is, "Young man, I think you are dying." Later she regrets her cruelty and dies shortly afterward. They are buried side by side. A rose grows on his grave and a briar on hers, eventually they become entwined.

Some variations of the ballad explain Barbara's attitude as the result of her belief that William had not been true to her, and that is the version that Suspense has chosen to follow. In their dramatization, Barbara mistakenly believes that William loves the new girl in Scarlet Town. There is also the addition of a suitor named Sean, who tries to keep Barbara and William apart.

July 23, 2011

Suspense's "Mate Bram" was loosely adapted from the true story of Thomas M. Bram chronicled by librarian/writer Edmund Pearson in his 1924 groundbreaking study of American crime, Studies in Murder. Instead of staying true to this Victorian horror tale of murder on the high seas, Suspense turned it into something similar to a 1940's noir.

Edmund Pearson's account of the true story of Mate Bram details the the events of a triple murder onboard the barkentine Herbert Fuller in 1896. The ship's captain, his wife, and the second mate were ax murdered by an unknown assailant in the middle of the night. The crew sailed the ship to Halifax, Nova Scotia, and ultimately, Mate Bram was accused of the crime. The case was transferred to Boston where, he was tried for murder not once, but twice, and found guilty by a jury both times. Bram served fifteen years, was paroled, and then granted a presidential pardon.

You can read more about the case of Mate Bram, and other interesting true stories, on the website of the Center on Wrongful Convictions, Northwestern University School of Law.

Suspense's version skips over all that, and portrays Bram as an alcoholic who lusts after the captain's younger wife. She lures him into her cabin with wine, and while he is lost in an alcholic blackout, three people are murdered. Since he can't remember what happened that night, he is blamed for the crime. All of this has nothing to do with the true story, but their version provides some memorably tawdry lines of dialogue like these:

Mate Bram: "...I stayed on because she was compelling, with a bold look...and because a man is always a hunter."

__________________________

Mate Bram: "Why does a young woman marry with a man like that and go sailing off on a ship with him...and eleven other men. No lady would do that, would she?"

__________________________

Mate Bram: "You are a married woman, Mrs. Nash."

Captain's wife: "I think that makes more difference to you than it does to me. Why are you so good?"

__________________________

Captain's wife: "Whether I'm married or not, I'm a woman. Am I not?

Mate Bram: Yes, yes you are.

Captain's wife: And, I...deserve to have the company that I like. I...brought a bottle of wine.

July 17, 2011

In "Last Confession," Dorothy McGuire stars as a young woman who can't remember if she committed a murder or not.

As the episode opens, Jessie is reading the newspaper and pouring over the details of a recent murder. Her roommate, Edna, thinks her curiosity is morbid, but Jessie dismisses her concerns.

As Jessie continues to wonder about the identity of the murderer, she begins to harshly question her own whereabouts on the day of the crime. Did she do it? Was the murder victim an old boyfriend, or someone she didn't know? After a while, she gets so mixed up, she isn't sure...

July 04, 2011

In "Circumstantial Terror," Ronald Reagan stars as an average guy who is framed for a murder he didn't commit.

As the episode opens, Frank Thompson explains how he came to be broke and unemployed. Things hadn't been going well for him, but then, one night, he went to the liquor store for a pack of cigarrettes...and things got worse.

After a brief argument with a rude storekeeper, Frank left the shop in a huff. Later, he went back to apologize...and found the storekeeper murdered!

Frank saw the real murderer leave the scene of the crime, but no one believes him. Now, he is going to be tried for first degree murder. Can Frank convince his court appointed public defender that he is telling the truth?

June 19, 2011

In "Nightmare," Gregory Peck stars as a father who exacts revenge on a drunk driver for the death of his son.

As the episode opens, Ben explains how a fear can take root in your mind and grow into a nightmare...

For him, the fear began with an incident involving a careless driver the day before the Fourth of July weekend. One that upset him and sent him to bed early that night.

The next afternoon...Ben goes on a fishing trip with his wife, Elsa and their son, Stevie. Midway up the mountain, they run out of gas. Ben leaves them to walk back to the gas station, and while he is gone, Stevie is killed by a drunk driver.

Ben then decides to take the law into his own hands and kill the man who murdered his son.

In "Golden Years," a troubled teenager threatens his stepfather's life because he won't let him borrow the car for a date.

As the episode opens, Sue recalls how the trouble started...

She didn't know Buddy well. She had only met him a week ago at the malt shop, but they had made a date to go out. Then, he canceled their date suddenly and told her that he was going to kill his stepfather instead.

Sue imagines the whole incident must have started that morning, when Buddy asked his stepfather if he could have the car...

June 12, 2011

In "Talk About Caruso," a prize fighter gives up boxing to pursue a career as an opera singer.

As the episode opens, handsome Joe Trenton, the "Singing Slugger" is dropped by his manager, Harry Galt, because of his lackluster performance as a fighter. Shortly afterward, Joe's luck changes when opera singer Francesca Lumbar approaches him about a career in music.

Joe takes her up on her offer, and quickly becomes a singing sensation...despite his moderate talent.

A year later, Harry Galt, returns to settle up their accounts. His contract gives him fifty percent of Joe's earnings--no matter if he is singing or boxing.

When Harry comes back a second time for his money, Joe decides to use his voice as a weapon. The problem is, Joe doesn't have the talent of a Caruso...

June 05, 2011

In "Aria From Murder," opera singer Ezio Pinza stars as a baritone who commits murder only to end up being blackmailed by the fan who witnessed the crime.

As the episode opens, Nicolo Mazzini is in the middle of a performance of Mozart's Don Giovanni, when he goes offstage and calls the police...to confess.

It all began with a weakness for a woman, Leola Dantes. She wasn't his wife, but she was the woman he loved. The general manager of the opera company, Felix Levine, found out about NIcolo's relationship with her and confronted him. Leola wasn't the only trouble Nicolo had gotten himself into, he was also overdrawn on all of his credit accounts. Felix informs him that he is breaking their contract.

Niccolo then kills Felix on the stage of the empty opera house, but then realizes that there was still one person in the audience...

May 23, 2011

In "A Strange Day in May," an astronaut rockets into space for what he mistakenly believes will be a routine exploratory flight.

As the episode opens, Major Thomas Manning of the U.S. Air Force is about to board the experimental craft that will take him into outer space. His assignment is to investigate what may have happened to two astronauts who went up before him and disappeared.

His wife, Mary, is upset. She is afraid he will never come back, but Major Manning tells her that he will be back before she knows it.

May 16, 2011

In "The Defense Rests," Alan Ladd stars as an ex-con charged with the murder of the attorney who sent him to prison.

As the episode opens, court is in session and attorney Max Krieger proclaims his fatherly feelings fro the defendant, Robert Tasca. Mr. Krieger has done everything for him! Nevertheless, Robert now stands trial for the murder of Mr. Krieger's law partner.

How did that happen? When Robert was released from prison, Mr. Krieger gave him a job as a clerk in his office. Although his law partner, Arthur Hines, was the man who convicted Robert and sent him to prison...Mr. Krieger was sure they would get along fine.

May 08, 2011

In "An Honest Man," Charles Laughton stars as a grocery worker who steals money from his employer to cover a bet.

As the episode opens, Freddie's mother has just died...and he is glad. For most of his forty-four years, his mother has been the center of his life. Now, she is gone!

The next day, he returns to his job at the sandwich counter in Mr. Kelsey's grocery store. Freddie has been at his job for twenty-six years and his boss trusts him completely. That evening, as he and his coworker, Dora, close up the store, Freddie asks to walk her home.

He is interested in Dora, but she admits that she can't get serious about a guy unless he has a little nest egg put away. Freddie doesn't have a nest egg, but he wants Dora, so he tries to figure out how to get one.

The next day, Tom Bass, the local bookie, drops by the store. He provides Freddie with an opportunity to raise money quickly, and all he has to do is borrow a bit from the cash register...

April 24, 2011

"My True Love's Hair" is a dramatic interpretation of a traditional folk ballad called "Black is the Color of My True Love's Hair." The song originated in Scotland but was popularized by American folk singer John Jacob Niles in the early part of the twentieth century. The exact lyrics and origin of the song are unknown, and many artists have created their own interpretations. Suspense took a large measure of dramatic license and created a story that would have played well on Escape.

The episode opens in Suva, the capital of Fiji. John Harveson, midshipman of the Sumatra Bell, arrives at the home of Mr. & Mrs. Genowith. He is greeted by Mr. Genowith, who immediately suspects that John is after Rachel, the beautiful servant girl who lives with them. John has come to them on behalf of an old friend, but that doesn't stop Mrs. Genowith from warning him away from Rachel.

John quickly falls for Rachel, and in doing so, kills the man who thought she was in love with him. Afterward, Rachel and John leave the scene of the crime, and then Rachel leaves him...

Suspense's "Frankie & Johnny" is a dramatic interpretation of the American popular ballad of the same name. The origin of the song is uncertain and it has no definitive set of lyrics, but the story is that of a woman named Frankie who catches her man, Johnny, fooling around. Frankie then shoots and kills Johnny, and in some versions, is executed for her crime. The song may or may not be based on a true crime. The first published version of the music appeared in 1904 and the lyrics now associated with the song were first published in 1912. The song has since been rewritten and performed by many artists.

As the episode opens, Frankie wants Johnny to pay attention to her, but he is more interested in playing his clarinet. Frankie wants to believe that he is really her man, BUT when she asks him where he goes by himself...Johnny tells her not to question him. Johnny tells her that she needs to to buy him a new suit, because that will make them both feel better.

Frankie buys him the new suit, but not long afterwards, he disappears with another woman. Then Frankie buys a gun...

April 17, 2011

In "A Case of Nerves," Edward G. Robinson stars as man who creates an elaborate plan to kill his sick wife.

As the episode opens, James Wentworth arrives in Toledo, Ohio, and rents a room for the evening. Suddenly, he complains of terrible pain, and the landlady calls for the local doctor, Dr. Martin. Mr. Wentworth is prescribed morphine, but after receiving the prescription from the drug store, Mr. Wentworth leaves town!

Mr. Wentworth, whose real name is Mr. Albert Baker, then goes back to his home in Cleveland with the morphine tablets. He intends to use them to kill his invalid wife by putting them in the warm milk he brings her every night.

His simple plan seems perfect, but he soon finds his situation becoming more and more complicated...

April 10, 2011

Suspense's "The Wreck of the Maid of Athens" was based on the book The Wreck of the Maid of Athens: Being the Journal of Emily Wooldridge 1869-1870. Suspense's version is interesting, but it bears little resemblance to events described in Wooldridge's journal. In Suspense's version, the surviving crew members resent and blame the captain's wife as the cause of their troubles. Superstition dictates that having a woman on board is bad luck, and they blame her for the fire that destroys their ship.

The true story is more interesting. The Maid of Athens caught on fire and was shipwrecked in 1870 on the Isla de los Estados (Staten Island) in Argentina, off the eastern coast of Tierra del Fuego. In Wooldridge's journal, the crew members are respectful and everyone works cooperatively. The only problem with the sailors she describes is their nipping from the small stash of alcoholic spirits kept aside for medicinal purposes.

The journal chronicles her experiences as a woman shipwrecked in a remote part of the world, and how her husband, the captain, managed the situation and eventually navigated them in a hand-made boat to safety at Port Stanely in the Falkland Islands. Had they stayed at sea any longer, they would have had severe injuries from frostbite.

In "Eyewitness," Howard Duff stars as a newspaper reporter taken hostage by a group of angry convicts.

As the episode opens, Mr. Kelly is touring a prison in order to acquire background material for an article. At the start, the gruff warden warns Mr. Kelly not to try to print anything without his permission.

Towards the end of the tour, Mr. Kelly's guide suggests they visit the oldest cell block in the prison, the one where the "bad ones" are kept. Mr. Kelly agrees, but as soon as they walk through the doors of the creepy old building, they are taken hostage! Is it a jailbreak? No, it's a prison mutiny!

Will Mr. Kelly be one of their victims? Or, will he be able to help them get their story out?

March 28, 2011

In "Trial by Jury," Nancy Kelly stars as a criminal defense attorney who gets outwitted by a client.

As the episode opens, Hilda Warren, the top criminal lawyer in the state, is being escorted to the jail cell of her new client, Tommy Esterman. She informs him from the get-go that he is lucky to get her and that she expects to be well paid for taking him on as client. Tommy isn't pleased, but he agrees to her terms.

Hilda lives up to her reputation, and Tommy avoids a murder conviction. After the trial, Tommy informs her that they are going to marry. Hilda laughs, but Tommy isn't joking. He has plans, and Hilda soon realizes that Tommy is smarter than she thought. She also decides that Tommy is going to have to die!

The first time Suspense presented this episode was on March 27, 1947, but there is no known recording of that broadcast. Nancy Kelly starred in that version, and returned to Suspense in 1957 to play the lead role again.

March 27, 2011

In "The Visitor," a young man reappears three years after he was believed to have been murdered by his friend. But is it really him?

This episode was adapted from the 1944 novel The Visitor by American playwright and journalist Carl Randau and his wife, Leanne Zugsmith, a journalist, writer, and activist. Suspense made a few changes, but for the most part, the story presented is the same as the book.

The episode opens at a lunch counter outside of Baltimore, where a man named Burrell has come to talk to the teenager behind the counter. He was given an anonymous tip that the young man was really Bud Owen, and now Burrell discovers that this is true. Bud disappeared three years earlier, and almost everyone in their small hometown of Edgerton believed that he had been murdered. On that fateful day, Bud had gone to Ocean Isle with his friend Joe, but after a quarrel, only Joe had returned. Although no one could prove a crime had been committed, everyone believed Joe was guilty.

Now, Burrell is bringing Bud back home to Edgerton, but will everyone be happy to see him?

March 13, 2011

In "The Great Train Robbery," Fred MacMurray stars as a man who takes a chance on improving his life through crime.

Walter Beaumont lives in Oakland, California, with his wife, Bess. For the last sixteen years, they have struggled to get by but hope that one day their circumstances will improve. Walter gets tired of being short on money.

One day, cousin Eugene arrives and talks Walter into taking a trip to Reno. Bess thinks they are going fishing in Lake Tahoe, but Eugene has bigger plans that involve robbing a train. Walter agrees to the plan. He believes that his bland appearance makes him nearly unidentifiable and that gives him confidence that their plan can't fail.

March 06, 2011

Suspense's "You'll Never See Me Again" was adapted from the Cornell Woolrich novella of the same name, which was first published in Detective Story, November 1939. Today, you can find it in the book Four Novellas of Fear (2010). Suspense's version has a different outcome than the original, but most of the story remains the same.

As the episode opens, Ed Bliss and his wife, Janet, have just had their first big argument after three months of marriage. She storms out, claiming that he will never see her again! Ed plays it cool. He doesn't want to give in to her too soon, so he waits three days, and then calls her at her mother's home. When Mrs. Alden answers, Ed discovers that Janet isn't with her mother.

Where is she? What happened to her? Ed rushes off to the bus station to pick up the trail of his missing wife...

March 05, 2011

In "A Load of Dynamite" an ex-con decides the easiest way to a better life is to steal everything that belongs to his brother.

As the episode opens, Dave arrives at the home of his younger brother, Hal, after being incarcerated at San Quentin for many years. At first, Dave is an unwelcome surprise, but soon, Hal welcomes him into his home.

But Dave didn't really come to mend fences. He just wants to see what he can get from his brother. When he sees Hal's wife, Terry, he decides he wants her!

Hal trucks dynamite around the mountains for a living. So, it doesn't take Dave long to figure out an easy way to get rid of Hal...

February 20, 2011

In "The Well-Dressed Corpse," Eve Arden stars as a woman who gets murderous after being jilted.

As the episode opens, Ruth Franklin is being held on a murder charge at the police station. Only six weeks earlier she had been chosen as one of the best- dressed women in America, and that was when all of her problems began...

At the awards banquet, she was seated next to Roy Mason, one of the best-dressed men in America. They hit it off and soon became a fashionable item together. Fashion columnists took note and assumed the two would be getting married. Ruth assumed that, too, but then Roy told her otherwise. He already had a fiance!

Ruth didn't take the news well. Later, she came over to his place for martinis...and pulled out a gun!

February 13, 2011

In "Catch Me if You Can," Jane Wyman stars as a wife who murders her husband and then unravels while searching for the incriminating evidence he left behind.

As the episode opens, Margo Weatherby and her husband, Phil, are alone in a remote Colorado mountain inn. The hour is late and there is no one around for miles. She has put sedatives in his milk and now waits for him to sleep...so she can...

But Phil doesn't go to sleep...instead he informs Margo that he took those suspicious pills that she gave him last week and hid them with a note. Then, he called his detective friend, Rocky Rhodes, and asked him to come to the lodge! Margo protests at his lack of faith in her, but Phil is convinced that she wants to kill him to end their marriage. He knows that Margo feels trapped because he is ill. So, Phil asks her for a divorce, and she demurely agrees. Then, when Phil finally falls asleep, she follows through on her plan and kills him. That way, she gets everything!

Margo thinks it will be easy to find those missing pills before Detective Rocky Rhodes arrives, but Phil hid them well. While she frantically searches, a number of unexpected guests show up at the inn looking for shelter. Are they really lost? Or, is one of them Detective Rocky Rhodes?

February 06, 2011

Suspense's "They Call Me Patrice" was adapted from the novellette by Cornell Woolrich eight months after it was first published in Today's Woman magazine (April 1946). Woolrich later reworked this same story into his classic novel, I Married a Dead Man, which was published in 1948 under his pen name, William Irish.

William Spiers adapted the original novellette for Suspense and made two important changes: the main character, Helen/Patrice is not pregnant, and the happy ending was changed to one that isn't.

As the episode opens, Helen Georgesson is on a train back to San Francisco after divorcing her no-good husband in New York. She meets Patrice and Hugh Hazzard, and she is attracted to their bubbly newlywed happiness.

Helen accompanies Patrice to the ladies room, and while they are chatting about Patrice's fears of meeting her new inlaws---the train suddenly goes off the rails and crashes!

Later, Helen awakens in a hospital room, only to realize that she has been mistakenly identified as Patrice Hazzard. In desperation for a new and better life, she doesn't tell them the truth.

Will Helen find peace in her new life? Or, will someone from her past discover her secret...

On September 21, 1951, an excellent version of No Man of Her Own was presented on radio by The Screen Director's Playhouse. Barbara Stanwyck and Lyle Bettger star in this hour long episode. Richard Alan Simmons adapted for radio.

February 01, 2011

Well, Noir City has come to a close, and though I had to miss the last weekend of the festival, I made the most of the time I did spend there.

For me, the highlight of the festival was the chance to see Sorry, Wrong Numberon the big screen--and it did not disappoint. The plot of that film is kind of...confusing, but it all comes together when we see the killer's shadow ascending the staircase while Barbara Stanwyck goes into full hysterics. The audience loved it! Sorry, Wrong Number was introduced by festival host Eddie Mueller as film so dark that it is "pitch black," but that it was also a fascinating scenic travelogue of 1940's America.

I also enjoyed seeing two films that we are familiar with as Suspense episodes. The first, and the better of the two, was Beware, My Lovely. Thanks to a reader of Escape and Suspense!, I learned that this was the same story as the Suspenseepisode "To Find Help." The film is much the same as the radio episode, and both were taken from Mel Dinelli's stage play The Man. The crazed handyman, played by Robert Ryan, holds hostage the lady of the house, played by Ida Lupino. One important difference is that the film is set forty years earlier than the radio version. The audience definitely enjoyed the tension of Beware My Lovely.

I also saw My Name is Julia Ross, which you may know as the Suspense episode "The Woman in Red." Interesting to see this film once, although it is different from the radio version. Both the radio story and the film were taken from the novel by Anthony Gilbert.

I also enjoyed and recommend High Wall, Stranger on the Third Floor, Strangers in the Night, Among the Living, and The Lady Gambles. Wish I could have seen them all, but I had to go out of town. So, we'll just have to wait for next year!

January 16, 2011

In "Door of Gold," a pair of newlywed archaeologists brave the dangers of a subterranean Incan temple in order to retrieve a fortune in gold.

As the episode opens, Phillip explains that he and his bride, Janice, are honeymooning in the Peruvian jungle while excavating Incan burial mounds. Accompanying them are Dr. Clayton and their native guide, Juan. They are all searching for the famed Porto de Oro because Phillip believes that it is a real doorway to a fortune in gold and not just a legend.

One morning, they find the Porto de Oro inside of a burial mound built against a mountainside. After discovering the trick to the entrance, Phillip and Janice enter alone. He cautions her about the danger, but Janice tells him that she knows all about the "flip-flop" stones and other traps inside the subterranean passageways.

Will Phillip and Janice find the gold the Incas hid from the Spanish four centuries ago? Or, will they become trapped underground forever?

In "The End of the String," a costume jeweler successfully steals a million dollar necklace but then discovers he is stuck with an item he can't sell.

As the episode opens, a parcel containing a strand of pearls worth a million arrives in the office of Sam Hiler, fine jeweler. He brags about the necklace to his friend, Mark Hendricks, who also has an office in the building. Sam opens the package only to find...eight cubes of sugar inside. What happened to the pearls? No one can figure that out. The pearls, sent by registered mail, were stolen from a sealed package.

As it turns out, Mark does know, because...he is the one who stole the necklace! He confides in Miss Cummings, Sam's assistant, and the two of them set out to make a fortune from the sale of the pearls. The problem is that neither of them can come up with a buyer...

In "Voyage Through Darkness," Olivia de Havilland and Reginald Gardner star as two lovers on a cruise ship, brought together by the search for a stowaway criminal.

The episode opens in 1939, before the war, as Judith Webster explains that her position as a traveling companion to an elderly, wealthy woman now only involves that woman's final burial arrangements. She is to escort the body back to America by ship for a burial-at-sea.

Judith dutifully follows through on her somber responsiblities and is relieved to board the ship at Southhampton. Once onboard, her mood lightens, despite the news that a criminal called "the Blackout Killer" is loose and possibly on board.

She goes out on deck to watch the lights of the city disappear against the horizon, when a man appears from behind one of the lifeboats...

January 06, 2011

In "The Chain," Agnes Moorehead stars as a housewife who doesn't break a chain letter, but ends up in trouble anyway.

As the episode opens, Leonora explains that all she did was to follow the instructions of a chain letter. She was afraid not to! She remembers the morning that letter arrived in the mail. Leonora was fixing breakfast for her husband, George...

She was also complaining to him about Abby Reynolds, who kept rubbing it in that her husband, Burt, had been appointed district manager, and not George. What with all of the difficulties of Leonora's daily life, Abby's good fortune was more than she could take!

She then opened her morning mail and discovered the chain letter. It had been started by a holy man in Tibet to end all evil, and those who did not forward the letter were subject to the dangers of breaking the chain!

Leonora considered the people she could send it to....particularly Abby Reynolds...

January 02, 2011

In "Mr. Diogenes," Ozzie and Harriet Nelson star as themselves in a story about a couple who have their anniversary plans upset by a radio game show.

As the episode opens, Ozzie explains how he was set up for trouble...it all started when he stepped on a scale/fortune telling machine to find out his weight. Out popped a card that predicted "Today will be the most memorable day of your life."

As Ozzie was leaving the store, an older gentleman bumped into him, and in doing so, dropped his wallet. Ozzie returned the wallet, and the man, Hector Diogenes, admitted that he had dropped it on purpose. He routinely dropped his wallet in seach of the honest man who would return it.

Diogenes then announces that Ozzie is the honest man he has been searching for and that today is the most memorable day of his life!

He then promises to reward Ozzie with the wisdom and knowledge of his ancient Greek ancestor, Diogenes the Cynic. All Ozzie has to do is memorize a book on the discourses and then return the follow morning to recite what he has learned. If he passes the test, he will be rewarded with great wealth.

In "Two Horse Parlay" a nephew tries to fool his blind aunt into believing he is a concert pianist.

As the episode opens, Johnny arrives at the office of his bookie, Porko, and finds out that his credit has been cut off. He owes them $4,000 and the syndicate wants their money.

With no other way to come up with the cash, Johnny puts in a call to his wealthy Aunt Mita, who thinks that he is in New York City training to be a concert pianist. In desperation, he tells her a lie about urgently needing $4,000 to train in Paris with a famous piano teacher.

Aunt Mita tells him that first she would like to hear him play and that she wants him to come for a visit.

Johnny hasn't been near a piano in quite some time, so he asks him fiance to come along and play piano for him. Since Aunt Mita is blind, she won't really know it isn't Johnny.

December 19, 2010

In "The Gift of Jumbo Brannigan," William Bendix stars as a career criminal who learns that his son is a chip off the old block.

As the episode opens, Jumbo and his pals are drilling into a safe, on a break-in that seems to be going smoothly. Then, suddenly, he trips an alarm. Jumbo's mind whirls, and he thinks back to how it all started three weeks earlier when he was released from prison...

When he was paroled, the warden informed Jumbo that the prison officials had made arrangements for him to live with his estranged fourteen year old son. During the time that Jumbo was in prison, his son was a ward of the state, but now they wanted to give them a chance to be a family. To that end, they had arranged an apartment and a job to help them get started.

Jumbo humbly agreed to their plan, but had no real intention of following through. However, when he stepped outside the prison, his son was waiting for him.

As Jumbo became acquainted with his son, the resemblance between the two of them quickly became obvious...

In "No Escape," James Cagney stars in a cautionary tale about a man who wins an award for being a safe driver but then kills several people while driving to the award banquet.

As the episode opens, Harry Graham explains that he is just like anybody else. He is just like the next guy. So, what happened to him? Why, it could have happened to you.

Harry lives in a small town with a highway running through it and lots of problems with speeding drivers. In response, the town council established a safety campaign and created a "Safe Driver of the Year" award. This year, they awarded their prize to him.

On the night of the banquet, Harry said goodbye to his kid brother,Ted, and got in his car to pick up his girlfriend, Eve. He was running late, so Harry decided to take Canyon Road, where there wasn't as much traffic.

As he was driving down the center of the dark mountain road, he reached for the cigarrette lighter, and when he looked up...

December 12, 2010

In "A Week Ago Wednesday," Nancy Kelly stars as a woman terrorized by a premonition that her husband is going to kill her.

As the episode opens, Maude Haskin explains that she is just an average girl, no different than any other girl her age. So, how could something so terrible have happened to her?

The problems began on a rainy Wednesday evening after she left work. When Maude tried to open the front door of her apartment, she found a stranger living there instead. The woman told Maude that she and her husband had moved into the apartment only a few days earlier. They had moved in after the previous occupant had been murdered with an icepick! Maude then became confused and ran away.

Later, Maude woke up on a park bench and realized that the episode had all been a dream. Her husband, Harry, found her there and brought her home. She had been missing all night.

Afterward, Harry appears to adore her, but Maude believes in her premonition. She fears Harry is going to kill her...

December 05, 2010

In "Gold of the Adomar" John Hodiak stars as a deep sea diver who accepts a job salvaging a sunken Spanish galleon filled with treasure.

As the episode opens, Nick is in his diving suit slowly going down...to a sunken ship holding three million dollars in gold.

During his descent, his thoughts drift back to the time when his lust for gold began...when he left the Navy to work for civilian salvage companies as a diver. The money was three times better than what he was making in the service.

His first job offer came from a man who offered him the opportunity to salvage the contents of The Adomar. Nick explained to him that he wasn't foolish enough to go on silly treasure hunts and that he wasn't interested in the job.

Now, he is in his diving suit descending down to the gully where The Adomar rests.....

November 28, 2010

In "A Killing in Las Vegas," Linda Darnell stars as a dancer who discovers that her husband is trying to kill her.

As the episode opens, Dixie Evans, a dancer at the Oasis Club, has just entered the police station. She tells the officer in charge that her husband, Charlie, is trying to kill her. He has tried twice in the last twenty-four hours, and she is scared that next time he will succeed!

First, there was an assault in a casino parking lot and after that, the trouble in her hotel room. Then, she checked up on some of the things Charlie had told her. Lies!

What does a woman do when she discovers that her husband is trying to kill her? Go to the police.

The police, however, tell her that her husband has no obvious motive and that she probably isn't in any real danger...

In "Death on My Hands," a touring musician is terrorized by a small town lynch mob after accidentally killing a young fan.

The episode opens in an average American small town where Dixie and his band have been booked to play at a school dance. Before the performance, Dixie is surprised by a visit from Julia, their former singer. She has been drifting around the country since she left the band, but when she saw that Dixie was in town, she had to see him. The two make plans to see each other after the show.

The dance is a big success, and Dixie happily accepts their evening's earnings. He packs the money in his suitcase, along with the gun he uses for protection. Then, just as he is about to leave to meet Julia, a young fan named Emily enters his dressing room. She eagerly asks him for an autographed picture, and when she sees some in his suitcase, she reaches for them...

November 14, 2010

In "Five Buck Tip," Karl Swenson stars as a man who must convince prison officials he is on Death Row because his twin stole his identity.

As the episode opens, Marks flies into town to attend the execution of his identical twin brother, Tom. First, he goes to a bar called The Blue Hour and meets Tom's girlfriend, Jackie. They have a few drinks and then go over to the prison for the execution. Jackie can't work up the courage to see Tom, so Mark goes alone.

The guard tells him that his brother has been pretending to be mad. He has been trying to convince everyone that he is really his twin and that there has been a mistake. No one believes Tom is crazy, so execution is staying on schedule.

Mark goes into the cell to talk his brother...Tom knocks him out and switches their clothes. Now, Mark is on Death Row with just an hour to live and he can't convince anyone of his true identity!

In "The Plan," Claire Trevor stars as a housewife, who is terrified when her husband's criminally insane twin brother arrives for a visit.

As the episode opens, Mrs. Helen Anderson is at home. The police are there, too and they are asking her questions. They want to know about the dead man in the other room. Helen explains to them how it all started...

In the middle of the night, she and her husband, Harvey, had received a phone call. It was from Al Anderson...Harvey's twin brother! Al informed Harvey that he was on his way for a visit. So, Harvey finally had to admit to Helen that he had a twin brother. The reason he had never told Helen about him before was because Al was a murderer who had escaped from a mental institution.

Harvey told her not to worry about Al's coming for a visit, but she did. They planned to pick up Al at the train station that evening, but then Al showed up at their home earlier than expected...